The Phantom Ruby[1] (ファントムルビー[2] Fantomu Rubī?) is an object that appears in the Sonic the Hedgehog series. It is an interdimensional gemstone of incredible power that was fought over by several parties across a pair of different time periods.
Description
Appearance
The Phantom Ruby is a magenta and icosahedron-shaped ruby with black ripple patterns along its surface. It is small enough to fit in the palm of a hand.
Powers and abilities
While different from the Chaos Emeralds, the Phantom Ruby is still incredibly powerful[3] and has been theorized to be a source of unspeakable power.[1] When channeling its power, the Phantom King became powerful enough to bypass the invulnerability granted by a super transformation. Similarly, the Ruby itself can also restrain the Chaos Emeralds and cancel out a super transformation. The Phantom Ruby's abilities are said by Doctor Eggman to surpass even those of the Master Emerald,[4] to the extent that it affected the Master Emerald's ability to keep Angel Island afloat, causing the island to fall back into the ocean.[5] Because of its massive amount of power, it was implied that the Phantom Ruby's mere presence at the heart of the Eggman Empire was such that Eggman could afford to have a comparatively small amount of his own forces stationed at Metropolis, provided the gem was at full power. The Phantom Ruby was also capable of reviving at the very least robots, as evidenced by how it revived the fallen Hard Boiled Heavies. The Phantom Ruby is also remarkably durable, as it managed to withstand a direct blow from Infinite's sword, despite it being sharp enough to effortlessly cut down several Badniks.[6]
Sonic being transported to Angel Island due to the space-time altering powers of the Phantom Ruby, from Sonic Returns.
The Phantom Ruby's exact powers are based on virtual reality manipulation. It takes control of people's visual and depth perception to feed false information to the brain creating a new reality for them and creates virtual projections that have mass and form to interact with the world around them.[7] This includes empowering and altering beings (like the Hard Boiled Heavies, Metal Sonic, Infinite, and Super Eggman) or creating illusory places and entities that make it impossible to differentiate between reality and fantasy. Its powers can also warp the fabric of space-time,[1] allowing it to create dimensions such as Egg Reverie Zone and Null Space, as well as teleport entities from place to place. When used alongside the Chaos Emeralds' time-space powers, it transported Sonic and itself forward in time, and later sucked Dr. Eggman into a rift (the latter also causing the Titanic Monarch to collapse). As an extension of its virtual reality manipulation powers, its usage can also interfere with data analysis, which was best demonstrated during Sonic's first encounter with Infinite, where the Miles Electric ran into problems getting sensible readings on the latter.[8]
Using a copy of the Ruby, it is able to empower a being to be faster and stronger than even Sonic within their Ruby's virtual realities,[9] and bestow various abilities like flight and levitation, deadly energy beam emission, energy ball projection, self-replication, size enhancement, shockwave manipulation, gravity distortion, object materialization and teleportation. They can manifest giant monsters in their likeness, trap beings in virtual realities, create a whole sun that moved according to their will and mimic the special techniques of others, such as Metal Sonic's exclusive V. Maximum Overdrive Attack. In battle, Infinite primarily used his finalized Phantom Ruby copy to generate crimson cubes that he could skillfully and willingly move around. If an opponent got struck by these cubes, they would be sent into a virtual reality where they were assailed by objects manifested by his Ruby's power. He could generate a large number of these cubes and arrange them into a variety of different shapes and forms. Infinite could also use his Ruby's power to create Phantom Copies that cause his victims to falsely perceive the presence of other characters. These copies are described by Shadow as having "mass and form, but no heart or soul".[7] These copies, so long as Infinite desired, could also carry the memories, powers and personalities of the originals. Accordingly, Infinite could create an unlimited number of them and could also alter them to make them stronger than the originals, such as enhancing the size of a Metal Sonic Phantom Copy granting him the ability to use electrified versions of his energy cubes as well as to materialize objects to use as a shield.
Using his finalized Phantom Ruby copy's power, Infinite was also capable of manipulating nothingness itself, allowing him to create Null Space, which is a seemingly inescapable void in space-time where absolutely nothing exists. When opening portal into Null Space, Infinite could reinforce such portals to expand and suck everything nearby into them.
When touched, the Phantom Ruby, as a default, seems to generate an illusion of whatever the person who touched it most desires, although these only last as long as it is being physically touched by the person. For example, when Infinite accidentally touched the gem, he was struck by images of a destroyed world of chaos, based on his own violent desire for change.[6]
When used, the Phantom Ruby creates a by-product known as the Ruby Mist, a mist-like substance that distorts space-time within it.
The Phantom Ruby is also capable of assimilating Phantom Ruby prototypes and anything directly connected to them; after being defeated, Infinite and his Phantom Ruby prototype were in pulled by the Phantom Ruby, consuming the prototype and seemingly Infinite along with it,[10] although Infinite was able to use whatever amount of its power he had left to feign his death and avoid this fate.[11]
The Phantom Ruby also possesses some control over memory manipulation in addition to its illusion powers. After being defeated at the end of the Eggman War in Null Space, the Ruby, before returning to Sonic Mania Plus, sent Eggman to Windmill Village and erased his memories, the unconscious Eggman being found with small energy cubes floating about him similar to the ones made by Infinite.[12] Eggman only regained his memories after several sessions of neuro-stimulants and hypnotherapy, before having the idea of repairing a damaged Metal Sonic to act as an emotional or mental trigger to restore his old self.[13] Later, he would modify a Phantom Ruby prototype he had left over that was charged with the power of the original Phantom Ruby[14] to create the "Egg Field", which harnessed the Phantom Ruby's power to spread across the entire planet and deceive the perception of the world itself and in turn deceive its inhabitants its surface.[15] As he couldn't quite yet control how the planet was deceived, the field collected impressions and thoughts from everyone to feed back into the planet. This lead to the birth of Otherworlds, countless alternative worlds pulled from people's minds and forced on to the planet. While under the effects of 'Otherworldifcation', the inhabitant's memories are repressed, and they only have memories of existing within the Otherworld.[16]
As he couldn't yet control it, Eggman allowed the field to deliver the Otherworld experiences to people to generate massive amounts of "Cognitive Friction Energy" from the load on the world itself caused by cognitive dissonance between the planet’s original reality and the alternate realities. By the time he is encountered by Sonic, Tails and Knuckles, his Egg Field has collected enough energy that said energy distorts surrounding space with just its presence and has enough power to destroy the planet four times over, which he would use to complete his weapon and create his own localized alternate world.[17] Even when the inhabitants' memories are restored thanks to contact with the Chaos Emeralds that had been warped into different forms, the field generated by the Ruby's power could attempt to brainwash and implant false memories by changing the memories of the planet and thus his inhabitants, overwriting the world with a new history where he won his past schemes and rules the world. The Ruby as a trump card was also able to let Eggman achieve a Super form on par with Super Sonic in abilities, as well as create and control Otherworlds at will, such as turning destroyed skyscrapers in Station Square into an army of Perfect Chaos copies.[18]
History
Sonic Mania
In Sonic Mania, the Phantom Ruby appeared on Angel Island after a dimensional breach occurred in the atmosphere,[1] its effects causing Angel Island to fall into the sea again.[5] Its unique energy signature was soon detected by Sonic and Tails who went to investigate it.[3] Also detecting the gemstone was Doctor Eggman, who sent his team of elite Egg-Robos, the Hard Boiled Heavies, to retrieve it after theorizing its potential.[1][2]
The Hard Boiled Heavies, Sonic and Tails in the wake of the Phantom Ruby's space-time alteration, from Sonic Mania.
When Sonic and Tails arrived on Angel Island, the Hard Boiled Heavies were excavating the Phantom Ruby from the ground. As they did so, the gem warped space-time around them and catapulted Sonic, Tails, the Hard Boiled Heavies, and Knuckles the Echidna (who was relaxing nearby) to Green Hill Zone. In the process, the Phantom Ruby transformed the Hard Boiled Heavies into more powerful Egg-Robos with wills of their own.[1]
The Hard Boiled Heavies promptly escaped with the gem which was soon taken by Doctor Eggman, whose usage of the gem sent Sonic and co. away when they caught up to him. When the trio later cornered Eggman in Press Garden Zone, the doctor used the Ruby to send them to Little Planet. At Stardust Speedway Zone, Eggman gave the Ruby to Metal Sonic who used its power to transform into Giga Metal in a bid to destroy Sonic's team. When the heroes defeated Metal Sonic however, the Phantom Ruby was returned to Eggman by a Dango before the heroes could claim it.
Sonic and the Phantom Ruby after the defeat of the Phantom King and Klepto Mobile, from Sonic Mania.
Eggman ultimately made the Phantom Ruby the power source of his Titanic Monarch, its power distorting space within Eggman's creation. When Sonic and co. faced Eggman, the doctor used the gem to power a battlesuit. Upon Eggman's defeat, the Phantom Ruby pulled the doctor and Sonic into a strange space where Eggman and the traitorous Phantom King fought over the gemstone, only for Super Sonic to defeat them both. In the aftermath, the Phantom Ruby reacted to the Chaos Emeralds, causing Sonic and the Ruby to be sent to the future.
Sonic Forces
Several months prior to the events of Sonic Forces, the Phantom Ruby (though it had no name at the time) was found by Doctor Eggman after the sensors of his Arsenal Pyramid detected an unusual energy signature outside, prompting Eggman to investigate. Upon touching the Ruby, Eggman had a brief vision of Eggmanland. Intrigued, Eggman researched the jewel, during which he coined its name. However, his base was soon attacked by the Jackal Squad. During the attack, Eggman inadvertently used the Ruby to materialize a troop of Egg Pawns to exterminate the squad. The squad's captain then tried to kill Eggman, but struck the Ruby instead, causing him and Eggman to see a ruined world based on the former's own violent desire for change. Impressed with the captain, Eggman convinced him to join his empire so they could achieve their mutual goals.[6]
Seeking to test the Phantom Ruby, Eggman went to Angel Island where he used it to create an illusion of the Pachacamac's village and have Knuckles the Echidna and Silver the Hedgehog fight a Phantom Copy of Chaos. Although Knuckles and Silver overcame the Phantom Copy, Eggman deemed the test to be a success.[4] Eggman would afterward analyze the Phantom Ruby in his lab in Mystic Jungle in hopes of using it to take over the world.[19][20] Using the data he gathered, Eggman created several, defective "Phantom Ruby prototypes"[21] which he used to experiment on until he created a finalized version.[22] That finalized Phantom Ruby copy was given to the Jackal Squad's captain due to him having a large amount of efficiency with the ruby, more than the possibility of a machine. After the jackal squad captain faced a humiliating loss to Shadow the Hedgehog, he cast away his previous identity and assimilated with the Ruby after a number of experiments, becoming Infinite.[22][23] Under the direction of Eggman, Infinite sought to destroy the world with his Phantom Ruby and allow the Eggman Empire to rise to power.[24]
While the original Phantom Ruby remained in Eggman's possession, he and Infinite put their plans into action by using the finalized Phantom Ruby to take over more than ninety-nine percent of Earth, sparking the War to Take Back the Planet. Six months later, the Resistance discovered that the Phantom Rubies relied on the Death Egg to provide them with the power they needed to work. As such, the Resistance destroyed the Death Egg, weakening the Rubies. However, Eggman had anticipated this and had a backup power reactor built underneath his empire's fortress.
At the climax of the war, the Resistance destroyed the backup reactor. Having anticipated this however, Eggman incorporated the original Phantom Ruby into a Death Egg Robot and its energy supply (making it an "invulnerable ruby") in an effort to defeat his enemies once and for all. By recklessly overclocking the Phantom Ruby, Eggman granted his Death Egg Robot powers beyond Infinite's, allowing it to create thousands of Phantom Copies to combat the Resistance with. During the Death Egg Robot's battle with Sonic the Hedgehog, his past self and the Avatar though, the Phantom Ruby was seemingly destroyed by the trio, which undid all it had wrought.
Sonic Mania Plus
The Heavy Magician giving the Phantom Ruby to the remains of the Hard Boiled Heavies, from Sonic Mania Plus.
In Sonic Mania Plus, although the Resistance had defeated Eggman, it turned out that the Phantom Ruby had survived the Death Egg Robot's destruction and had returned to the original time it came from. Upon returning to Angel Island, the Ruby floated away somewhere, with Sonic chasing after it. This led him to a capsule with old friends Mighty and Ray trapped inside. After Sonic set both allies free, one of them was revealed to be the Heavy Magician in disguise, who swiped the Phantom Ruby and passed it to the broken-down Hard Boiled Heavies, reviving them and sending the heroes back to Green Hill Zone. Thus, the heroes set off to chase the Phantom Ruby on another adventure similar to the first one.
After the Phantom Egg was defeated once again, the heroes got distracted by the Phantom Ruby as it floated there while Eggman snuck away. The Ruby then went out of control and created a space-time rift that began to suck in everything around it, including the Titanic Monarch. Eggman tried to make an escape, but the heroes escaped in their Super States and knocked him into the rift. It is unknown what has happened to the Phantom Ruby afterwards.
Trivia
Custom Phantom Ruby Awards in the Sonic Mania: Time Trial Championships event at SXSW Gaming 2019.
- In SXSW Gaming 2019 expo, when three people won first, second and third places in the Sonic Mania: Time Trial Championships event, each participant received a custom award featuring a replica of Phantom Ruby on a golden finish base with 7 transparent Chaos Emeralds depicted on it.[25]
- Between the releases of Sonic Mania and Sonic Forces, it was heavily speculated whether Infinite and the Phantom Ruby were connected. The sound effects made by the Phantom Ruby in Sonic Mania were labelled as "RedCube_R" and "RedCube_L" in the game's data, sounding identical to the noises made by Infinite's cube attack in the Sonic Forces E3 trailer. Other similarities such as the poses made by Classic Sonic at the end of Sonic Mania matching the pose he made in the Sonic Forces reveal trailer furthered speculation until the connection was confirmed by Takashi Iizuka during the Tokyo Game Show 2017.[26]
- Despite the Phantom Ruby's powers being described as virtual reality, the correct term for its primary usage would actually be augmented reality, which is when another reality is laid on top of another, whereas virtual reality is when an entirely new one is made.
- Despite the user making perfectly rounded (or sharp) mass forms, in Sonic Forces, the Phantom Ruby can only create cubes as a main geometry, but they merge together to create well balanced forms.
- In the early script of Sonic Forces, the Phantom Ruby was called "Valtron" and described as a blue sparkling pebble.[27]
- The Phantom Ruby is included as an accessory with the Infinite 4" articulated figure by Jakks Pacific.
- The Phantom Ruby can only be harnessed a feeble amount by a machine, which is why Eggman originally chose to let Infinite utilize the gem, instead of giving it to a machine.
See also
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 Sonic Mania (PC) English instruction booklet, "Prologue".
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Sonic Mania (PC) Japanese instruction booklet, "プロローグ".
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Sega. "Story So Far". Sonic Mania Introduction Manual. Sega. p. 1. "Some time after saving Angel Island, Sonic the Hedgehog and his best friend, Miles "Tails" Prower, are relaxing when Tails picks up a strange energy reading far away. Though different from the Chaos Emeralds, the reading is remarkably powerful, and Tails convinces Sonic to join him to check it out. Sonic and Tails take off on the Tornado towards the source, but sure enough, the evil Dr. Eggman has detected it too! Now it's a race between Sonic and Eggman to get there first and figure out what mysteries it holds. However, Eggman has been busy: he's just unleashed a new team of elite Egg-Robos to handle his most important tasks. They're called the "Hard-Boiled Heavies," and they're about to reach the source of the signal first! It's up to Sonic, Tails, & their newest ally, Knuckles the Echidna, to defeat the Hard-Boiled Heavies, unlock the secrets of the energy source, and stop Dr. Eggman!"
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 Sonic Forces: Stress Test, "Stress Test"
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 Live Sonic Mania Developer Playthrough (6:30:00). YouTube. Stealth (20 August 2017). Retrieved on 22 August 2017.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 Sonic Forces: Rise of Infinite, "Rise of Infinite"
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 Sonic Team (7 November 2017). Sonic Forces. Nintendo Switch. Sega. Area/Level: World Map. "Shadow: Infinite can create virtual reality projections. They have mass and form, but no heart and soul."
- ↑ Sonic Team (7 November 2017). Sonic Forces. Nintendo Switch. Sega. Area/level: Lost Valley. "Tails: No, wait! It's something else. Gotta scan [Infinite] and figure this out. / [...] / Sonic: Tails! I need to know what's going on with this guy! / Tails: I'm trying, Sonic, but these readings are all messed up! They don't make any sense!"
- ↑ Media:SFscan_15.jpg
- ↑ Flynn, Ian; Sega (8 December 2021). "Sonic Forces". Sonic the Hedgehog Encyclo-speed-ia. Dark Horse Books. p. 263. ISBN 978-1506719276. "Once the leader of a mercenary team called "Jackal Squad," Infinite made the mistake of trying to raid one of Dr. Eggman's bases. The doctor took a shine to Infinite's bleak worldview and employed him and his squad. Their security detail was brief, as Shadow destroyed the team and left Infinite scarred. Eager for revenge, Infinite had himself outfitted with a helmet and a Phantom Ruby prototype, giving him the ability to create hyperrealistic virtual reality constructs. After his final defeat, he and his prototype are consumed by the original Phantom Ruby."
- ↑ Ian Jones-Quartey (10 March 2026). Sonic Presents: The Chaotix Casefiles | Episode 7 The Case of the Red Specter Part 1. Sega. "Infinite: Because of those arrogant fools - and the worthless cronies who aided them - and Dr. Eggman taking back my power - I lost the day, and only escaped thanks to a final bit of deception."
- ↑ Sonic the Hedgehog #5, "The Fate of Dr. Eggman, Part 1"
- ↑ Sonic the Hedgehog #12, "The Cost of the Battle for Angel Island"
- ↑ Eitaro Toyoda on Twitter. Twitter (December 21, 2023). Retrieved on December 21, 2023. "cooki15xd: @E_Toyoda39 Hi really huge fan here, i want to ask, how did exactly Eggman was able to create a new Phantom Ruby since the original went to parts unknown last time we saw it and the copies were destroyed? / Eitaro Toyoda: Hi! Eggman didn't create the Phantom Ruby. He only had one weapon left over from "Sonic Forces" that was charged with the power of that, and he put it to good use. The one he wore on his chest was a modified version of a prototype phantom ruby that he had forgotten to discard. :)"
- ↑ {{Cite web|url=https://browniehideout.wordpress.com/2023/09/28/sonic-calendar-otherworld-comedy-story-act-10-the-little-detective-and-the-mafia-don-october-2023/%7Ctitle=Sonic Calendar “Otherworld Comedy” Story Act 10: The Little Detective and the Mafia Don (October 2023)|date=10 October 2023|accessdate=28 September 2023|quote=Tails:“So Eggman… he distorted the very perception of this planet itself, causing this global anomaly!”[...]“If the planet itself is deceived, those of us on the surface who were born on this planet will also be affected… all over the world. Eggman made the most cost-effective use out of the Phantom Ruby weapon. It’s pretty shocking…”
- ↑ Sonic Channel Calendar "Otherworld Comedy" Story Act 2: The Melancholy of a Magical Princess (February 2023) (27 January 2023). Retrieved on 9 December 2023. "Blaze: “I've been fighting as a magical princess for many years, but I've only been able to save a few hundred people at most... At this rate, I will never be able to end the root of evil and save the world. Don't you think... I am powerless?""
- ↑ Sonic Calendar “Otherworld Comedy” Story Act 11: An Unforgettable Rival (November 2023)
- ↑ Sonic Calendar “Otherworld Comedy” Story Act 12: Eggman’s Ultimate Weapon (December 2023)
- ↑ Sonic Team (7 November 2017). Sonic Forces. Nintendo Switch. Sega. Area/level: Eggman's Facility (Episode Shadow). "Eggman: Unbelievable! He's getting deeper and deeper into the facility! That computer running analysis in the core is invaluable!"
- ↑ Sonic Team (7 November 2017). Sonic Forces. Nintendo Switch. Sega. Area/level: Eggman's Facility (Episode Shadow). "Eggman: Ugh. At least the analysis of the stone was completed yesterday, but... No, I still can't let this facility be destroyed! Is there ANYONE left out there!?"
- ↑ Sonic Team (7 November 2017). Sonic Forces. Nintendo Switch. Sega. Area/level: Green Hill. "Infinite: And with that, the disposal of the Phantom Ruby prototypes is complete. / Eggman: It was a defective model. It could only record the DNA of the one that triggered it."
- ↑ 22.0 22.1 Sonic Team (7 November 2017). Sonic Forces. Nintendo Switch. Sega. Area/level: World Map. "Tails: Eggman experimented with lots of prototypes, and then incorporated the final version into Infinite."
- ↑ Sonic Team (7 November 2017). Sonic Forces. Nintendo Switch. Sega. Area/level: Episode Shadow. "Infinite: That day, I gave up my own unsightly face. And I let go of the old me, the one that was so weak, so that I could become stronger. And then, at last... I obtained the power. The power to make all yield to my will. I... was... REBORN!"
- ↑ Sonic Team (7 November 2017). Sonic Forces. Nintendo Switch. Sega. Area/level: Green Hill. "Eggman: Of course! When it's complete, the resistance will be erased. The world will be nothing but ashes, from which a glorious Eggman Empire will rise! / Infinite: And the resistance will yield to the Phantom Ruby's power. All will submit."
- ↑ Aaron Webber (@RubyEclipse) on Twitter. Twitter (12 March 2019). Archived from the original on 2 June 2020. Retrieved on 21 October 2022. "Aaron Webber: Custom Phantom Ruby Awards are here! Each features a replica Phantom Ruby and a golden finish base inlaid with 7 transparent Chaos Emeralds. The top 3 fastest Sonic Mania players at the @SXSWGaming event this weekend will win them - good luck!"
- ↑ Sonic Forces - TGS 2017 Otakumode Interview (52:37). YouTube (23 September 2017). Retrieved on 24 December 2017. "Takashi Iizuka (translated by board's translator): So...last month, uh, in August was the release of a game called "Sonic Mania", and uh, it got a really warm, uhm... welcome from everyone in the community, from all the fans, specially abroad a lot of people are enjoying playing it. And, uhm... I really hope that if you play "Sonic Mania", you get to play "Sonic Forces" too... you may think those titles are unrelated, but actually, they may not be, and there might be a... (laughs). Definitely, I want you to check both titles because there is something going on between the two."
- ↑ Unofficial English translation of early script (15 January 2016). Retrieved on 19 June 2018.
